Bushveld lad

Ford must have had Drive & Camp readers in mind when they built the Ranger Tremor because it has everything we want – without the unnecessary gadgets that push up the price.

- Cyril Klopper

Fast-food chain Steers experimented a few years ago with an extensive burger menu. There were more than 30 burgers to choose from, the strangest of which was the Aussie burger with pickled beetroot.

Ford South Africa is doing the same with an impressive 15 Ranger models on display. The most basic model is the Ranger 2.0 XL 4x2 single cab (R648 000), and at the far end of the scale is the 3.0 V6 Raptor (R1 270 000) – double the price of the entry model!

At first glance, the Ranger Tremor seems to fit somewhere in the middle of the Ranger lineup, but like Steers' Aussie burger, it's designed for a different palate.

To put that palate to the test, we took it on an 800 km journey through the Karoo – hoping all the while that pickled beetroot wasn't part of the recipe.

What do we have here?

Ford groups the Ranger Tremor with its XLT models, but with Bilstein suspension and General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres, it definitely stands out above the XLT range's more generic equipment.

The black honeycomb pattern in the grille is different from the XLT's standard grille, and the same goes for the black 17-inch alloy wheels (unique to the Tremor) and the signage with the model name on the bakkie's hind quarters and tailgate.

According to Ford's marketing team, the Tremor has all the enhanced off-road capabilities of the Wildtrak X but is based on the XLT range, making it a more affordable Choice. The Tremor is therefore aimed at people who want to tackle challenging roads, but especially those who want to install their own accessories.